SK Rapid and its transfer policy.
It is always closely monitored, and every change is broken down into what feels like a thousand individual parts and analyzed. Of course, not every new signing can be a complete success, even if that is of course the wish of the sporting directors and fans.
In the past, however, the Hütteldorfers have often been off the mark, just think of Ivan Mocinic, Arnor Ingvi Traustason or Koya Kitagawa. Positive examples, however, are Marco Grüll and the return of Guido Burgstaller.
Since Markus Katzer took over the position of Managing Director of Sport in January 2023 and the scouting department was subsequently reorganized with Nino Rauch as its head, every transfer seems to make sense.
Fally Mayulu, for example, was signed for free from Blau-Weiß Linz, and a year later Bristol City bought him for 3.5 million euros. Matthias Seidl also cost just 400 thousand euros, and should the new captain leave the Green-Whites, there will also be a significant profit.
Sangare at the forefront of a good transfer period
Rapid seems to have done a lot of things right again this summer. Louis Schaub was lured back after a few years abroad, and European Championship player Bendeguz Bolla was brought in on a free transfer from Wolverhampton Wanderers. The record champions beat international competition in their bid to sign Serge-Philippe Raux-Yao.
If the title of “king transfer” can be awarded after only four competitive games, it goes to a 22-year-old man from Mail: Mamadou Sangare.
The midfielder is already well known in Austria, left his homeland in September 2020 and signed for Salzburg. If a young player makes it onto the radar of the “Red Bulls”, then there must be a certain talent slumbering within him.
The left-footer was never able to show off his potential in the city of Mozart – after a year at cooperation club FC Liefering, he was loaned out to GAK, then to Zulte Waregem and finally to Hartberg. He never played a single competitive game for Salzburg.
While the U23 international had a difficult time in Belgium and only got a little playing time, he was a regular in both Graz and Eastern Styria. The 1.78 m tall Sangare underwent a transformation, especially during his one and a half years at TSV under Markus Schopp.
“I didn’t quite agree with that”
When the Malian, who now speaks German almost fluently, first came to Austria, he was still known for his attacking qualities. The left-footer played in the number ten position and scored nine goals in six appearances for the ‘Red Bulls’ U18 team.
“I didn’t fully agree with it. But I’m a versatile and competitive player, so I finally accepted that I can play in that position.”
Mamadou Sangare
Sangare also took on the role behind the striker at GAK, contributing a good five goals and four assists in 28 competitive matches. With the U23 national team, the offensive player even moved to the wing positions at the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations.
However, Schopp used Sangare more defensively and placed him as one of two sixes, similar to what Robert Klauß currently does at Rapid. “He explained to me that he preferred to use me in this position because of my good passing quality,” Sangare told an African football portal in an interview in November 2023.
The Malian was not comfortable with it at first. “I didn’t really agree with it. But I’m a versatile and competitive player. So I finally accepted that I can play in this position,” said Sangare. For him, the most important thing is to be on the pitch – no matter what position.
The box-to-box player that Rapid was missing
So he had no choice but to accept the new role. And it suited him very well.
Sangare became the link between defense and offense, able to speed up the game with precise passes to the front or slow it down at the right moments thanks to his good overview. Sangare was the linchpin of Hartberg’s build-up play.
His radius of action was also quite large, ranging from “box-to-box” – a term for a player who covers the entire field, i.e. he is involved both offensively and does valuable “dirty work” in defense.
The 22-year-old is predestined for this style of play due to his lively nature, and also impresses with his strong running, ball control and strength in duels – all of these attributes were demonstrated several times by the Malian, not least in the 1-0 home victory on Sunday against double winners Sturm Graz.
If the ADMIRAL Bundesliga were to choose a “Man of the Match”, the award would most likely have gone to the new signing.
The young wild man and his bodyguard
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Sangare has quickly become a crowd favorite, is said to have cost Rapid a mere 700,000 euros and has signed a contract until 2028.
It can already be said that the midfielder could one day bring the Green-Whites a windfall. His colleague at number six has a lot of praise. “‘Mama’ is a young boy who brings so much with him. He has so much quality,” Lukas Grgic enthused about Sangare after the game against Sturm.
He says it’s a pleasure to watch the youngster in training and in games and to see how carefree the Malian exudes. The 22-year-old is far from finished. “Of course I get on his nerves a bit, he has to stop doing certain things,” says Grgic.
But the veteran allows his six-year-younger counterpart his freedom. “And I’m his bodyguard,” smiles the Upper Austrian.
There is still enough potential for improvement
Head coach Klauß is also impressed by the duo Grgic/Sangare, but still sees plenty of potential for improvement.
“It can always be better, they complement each other well. Lukas Grgic gives us a lot of structure because he is an experienced player and knows what we want to do,” says the German. The veteran has a good sense “of when we should take risks, when we should attack high. He pays a lot of attention to his teammates.”
Sangare, on the other hand, is a very intense player “who is wild. That’s why they complement each other well.” There are still “steps to be taken” in the coordination of the two sixes, and due to the high workload so early in the season, “they will certainly play with other constellations at times.”
But Klauß emphasises: “The way in which both of them play football together is good.” The harmony is right, and the interaction will work even better over time than it already does.
Unpleasant times await Rapid’s opponents – the Turkish top club Trabzonspor will be the next to see this for themselves.
The first leg of the Europa League qualifiers on Thursday, 7 p.m. in the LIVE ticker >>>
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2024-08-07 21:58:09
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